The Nightmare
by Brighteyes109
Summary: Bella has a nightmare one night while Edward is hunting. Fluff. ECLIPSE SPOILERS
1. Chapter 1

B-POV

_I watched as my love fought for me, viciously attacking the one who wanted me dead. Edward was the perfect specimen of a warrior, cunning, smooth, both offensive and defensive. If I hadn't already loved him, my heart would have turned right then and there._

_Then something changed. Edward's movements got slower, his feet were heavier. Victoria saw her chance and lunged. Before my eyes he was ripped to pieces, to shreds, to bits. Then he was dust. And the dust flew away in the wind... _

_Far away, someone was screaming. The sound got louder and louder, until– _

"Bella!" A flash of lightning outlined Charlie as he shook me awake. I could hear the storm continue to rage outside. "Are you alright? You were screaming your lungs out- I haven't heard you scream like that since, well . . . "

As air ripped through my lungs, reality came back to me. My eyes filled again and I leaned against Charlie, holding to him like a life preserver. The sobs shook my whole body; even though I knew it was a dream, the pain was still there. And the one time I really needed Edward was the time he was hunting. But I needed him. I needed someone who understood. Maybe I could call Alice. . . .

"Edward," I choked out. "I need Edward." Apparently, my brain and my mouth aren't connected. Edward wouldn't answer- I mean, he was _hunting_. He wouldn't have his phone on him to scare away the bears with _Beethoven's Fifth_.

Charlie had never seen me like this. He simply looked at me with wide eyes as he reached for my cell phone and pressed the speed dial. It hadn't rung for a second before it was answered.

"Edward? This is Charlie. It's about Bella . . . Yes, that's exactly what happened. She wants to see you. Can you . . . Ten minutes? I don't know . . . " He glanced my way. "Can you maybe, you know . . . _Yes_, that works. You do? Okay . . . "

"Bella?" He said to me gently. "Do you want to talk to him?" I was able to turn my sobs to a minimum . . . that is, until I heard him say my name. Then I lost it again.

"Bella?" His voice was as beautiful as always, though I could detect a hint of fear in his voice. "Edward" was all I was able to choke out. "Bella, Alice called me and I cut the trip short. I'll be out front in less than a minute. Hold on. I love you." I cried harder at his words.

He hung up. I dropped the phone and dashed for the front door. As I jerked the door open, he was running at just passable human speed up the walkway. He gathered me in his arms and held me in the open doorway as my sobs resurfaced.

"Shh, don't cry, Bella, it's okay . . . " He murmured comforting words as he carried me to my room. In my peripheral vision I saw Charlie still sitting on by bed with a look of pure shock on his face. Edward took a seat and rocked me like a child, kissing my tears away, sometimes singing or whispering his love to me. My cries would sometimes wane, but they always came back full force.

Eventually I was able to calm down and stop crying. Charlie had stayed on my bed throughout my meltdown, though he was probably too shocked to move more than a desire to supervise us. Edward continued to rock me as I got my breath back. Then he spoke.

"Bella, do you want to sleep now? It's almost dawn." He looked into my tired, bloodshot eyes and they widened.

"Don't leave me!"

He looked to Charlie. I saw Charlie shrug his shoulders and move from the bed. Edward gently laid me down and tucked me in. Then he carefully laid down next to me, though on top of the covers. I spooned to him and he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Tell me a story," I whispered. "A happy story where everyone lives happily ever after. But with no mythical beasts, please."

I felt him smile against my hair and smiled in turn.

"Alright then," he said. "One happy story coming right up." He thought for a few seconds before starting.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who lived in a glistening castle of white stone . . . "

C-POV

So much was happening all at once! He goes away for 36 hours and she has an emotional breakdown. It's like living back in October, only worse. I wonder what she had been going on in that head of hers.

I watched as my daughter slept in the arms of her beau. I could no longer deny that she loved him. But did he love her? I needed to find out as soon as possible.

Bella was soon asleep, and, with one last kiss to the forehead, Edward moved to the door and motioned for me to follow.

As we settled down in the living room, he looked straight into my eyes. "Will you tell me exactly what happened?" He asked in a soft voice.

I let out a sigh as I relaxed into my armchair. "Well," I started as I rubbed my tired eyes. "I woke up to her screaming. At first I thought she would muffle the sound in her pillow, like she used to, but . . . It just went on and on. I went in and she was flailing around, still screaming bloody murder. She said something . . ." I cleared my throat. "She said something like, 'She killed him,' but I might be wrong. I woke her up then and called you. That's about it." As I spoke, the images invaded my mind- Bella muffling her screams, Bella screaming, Bella sobbing as she clung to Edward . . .

Edward flinched. He brought his eyes from the carpet to my eyes and sighed. "Charlie, I think it's time I told you something that Bella hasn't shared with you yet. Do you have time?"

Oh no. It has to be THE THING. I needed to prepare myself! Shouldn't Bella be here? She's the one that's pregnant, for mercy's sake!

My breath hitched. Pregnant. That means marriage, which means kids, which means divorce, which means . . .

Oh mercy. Kill me now.

Edward's eyes widened in shock. "No, it's not what you think it is! I just, I want to explain to you what happened last year when I left!"

I collapsed back in my chair. Stupid boy nearly gave me a heart-attack! Okay, that is seriously the last time I jump to conclusions!

E-POV

After nearly killing Charlie, I thought I'd better take it slow. I locked my eyes with his.


	2. Chapter 2

C-POV

So much was happening all at once! He goes away for 36 hours and she has an emotional breakdown. It's like living back in October, only worse. I wonder what she had been going on in that head of hers.

I watched as my daughter slept in the arms of her beau. I could no longer deny that she loved him. But did he love her? I needed to find out as soon as possible.

Bella was soon asleep, and, with one last kiss to the forehead, Edward moved to the door and motioned for me to follow.

As we settled down in the living room, he looked straight into my eyes. "Will you tell me exactly what happened?" He asked in a soft voice.

I let out a sigh as I relaxed into my armchair. "Well," I started as I rubbed my tired eyes. "I woke up to her screaming. At first I thought she would muffle the sound in her pillow, like she used to, but . . . It just went on and on. I went in and she was flailing around, still screaming bloody murder. She said something . . ." I cleared my throat. "She said something like, 'She killed him,' but I might be wrong. I woke her up then and called you. That's about it." As I spoke, the images invaded my mind- Bella muffling her screams, Bella screaming, Bella sobbing as she clung to Edward . . .

Edward flinched. He brought his eyes from the carpet to my eyes and sighed. "Charlie, I think it's time I told you something that Bella hasn't shared with you yet. Do you have time?"

Oh no. It has to be THE THING. I needed to prepare myself! Shouldn't Bella be here? She's the one that's pregnant, for mercy's sake!

My breath hitched. Pregnant. That means marriage, which means kids, which means divorce, which means . . .

Oh mercy. Kill me now.

Edward's eyes widened in shock. "No, it's not what you think it is! I just, I want to explain to you what happened last year when I left!"

I collapsed back in my chair. Stupid boy nearly gave me a heart-attack! Okay, that is seriously the last time I jump to conclusions!

E-POV

After nearly killing Charlie, I thought I'd better take it slow. I locked my eyes with his as I ran my speech over once again in my head.

"Charlie, I didn't leave Bella because I didn't love her. I left because I thought it would be best for her." I paused and let him absorb that while I peeked into his thoughts.

_Oh, I highly doubt that. _"Go on."

I heaved a sigh, blocked his thoughts (I needed to concentrate), and put on my lying face. Of course, this story _was_ pretty close to the same thing- I was just leaving out all of the important parts.

"I left because we were so young. I realized this at her birthday party last year- we were barely adults! I knew that I loved her with all of my being, but I was certain there was no way she could love me as much as I loved her. I convinced my family that it was best to leave. After all, she would get over me. But now I see that I was wrong.

"When we left, my family and I went to, um, LA, but I couldn't stay with them." _I hope Charlie didn't notice my slip._ "I left. I eventually ended up in a stranger's attic in Peru (AN- it is Peru, right? Correct me if I'm wrong!) I more or less curled up in a ball and let the grief overcome me.

"I metaphorically awoke when I got a phone call. It was Rosalie. She told me that Alice had gone back to Forks, and that Bella had killed herself.

"I had nothing left to live for. I flew to Italy, where I knew someone who could kill me. They refused. I was literally a foot away from provoking them to kill me when Bella ran into me. You see, Alice had been mistaken- Bella was alive. I had left my cell phone in a trash back in Peru and, even if they had called me, I would not have believed that Bella was alive. My family knew that I was . . . dramatic. They knew that I knew someone in Italy who would end my misery. Thankfully, Alice acted fast and brought Bella to me, proof that she was alive.

"On the plane ride home, I confessed to Bella that I never stopped loving her and I was stupid to think that she would forget me. I asked her if she loved me. When she said that she did, I acted impulsively. I asked her to marry me."

I paused. "Of course, she knew that you and her mother would freak if she got married young. She wants to wait, so don't count on hearing wedding bells anytime soon- unless I can convince her otherwise." I mumbled the last part to myself. I don't think Charlie would like the idea of me trying to convince his only daughter to marry me.

"Charlie, I really do love Isabella with all of my heart. I want you to know that I will never leave her again."

I continued to look at him as I tuned back into his thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

C-POV

My thoughts were running rampant:

_Wow._

_He went to Italy to kill himself because he thought Bella was_ dead?

_Wow._

Marriage?!_ But Bella said not right now, thank the heavens. . . ._

_She loves him. And . . ._

_He loves her. He loves her, it seems, with a love that rivals mine for Bella, or even Renee. . . _

_She died when he left._

_But he loves her._

_Wow._

I sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly as I thought about how I should apologize to this . . . man. Yes, with a love that deep he could only be a man.

"Edward . . ." Wow. This was harder than I thought. "It seems that I have misjudged you. I'm sorry for any unfairness-" _Wait, is that a word? Oh well._ "-that I have have shown to you in the past. I realize now that you really do love Bella." I sighed, and gave in to the inevitable. "When Bella says yes, I give you my permission to marry her."

E-POV

Did Charlie just say what I think he said?_ Permission!_ I could feel my face break into the biggest smile since . . . well, any moment with Bella. "Thank you sir!"

Charlie's face flushed at my praise and averted his eyes. "Oh, well, you're welcome, Edward."

I could feel my smile widen. He was just like Bella, stammering over praise, flush and all.

I glanced at the clock and stood up. "Well, I probably should be getting home."

Charlie also stood up. "Oh of course. Well . . ." We shook hands and he walked me to the door. "Thanks for coming at such short notice. I'll see you later tomor- today, actually."

I smiled. "Thank you, Charlie. For everything. Go ahead and get a few more hours of sleep." I walked down the steps toward my car (which still had one door open from my haste).

"You too!" Charlie called out after me. I heard the front door slam and his heavy footsteps trudge up the stairs.


	4. Chapter 4

I quickly drove my car out of sight and ran back to the house. I listened for Charlie's steady heartbeat before preceding to Bella's window. I efficiently slipped through and laid down beside Bella and held her close to me.

"I love you Bella," I whispered in her ear, "So, so much." I buried my face in her soft waves of hair while inhaling her intoxicating scent. Indescribable. I hoped her dreams were sweet.

I felt her shift next to me and loosened my hold, only to have her snuggle closer to me.

"Love you, Edward," She murmured.

_Ah, how wonderful to be at peace with the world again._

**A/N- Okay, that's the end. It was supposed to be a one-shot anyway, so don't be too disappointed.**** I do love reviews, if you're willing to take the time. I hope to hear from you more if I continue writing. Ciao! Bri**


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